Provost and Executive Dean, Career Education - Richard Caulfield

Dr. Richard Caulfield serves as Provost at the University of Alaska Southeast, including campuses in Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka. As chief academic officer at UAS he reports to Chancellor John Pugh and works closely with faculty, staff, and students in support of academic innovation and excellence. He serves on the UA Statewide Academic Council (SAC) and is responsible for ensuring that UAS academic programs are fully compliant with regional, national, and professional accreditation standards. He is actively engaged with implementing the university’s strategic and assessment goals and strategies.

Dr. Caulfield earned a PhD in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and BA and BS degrees in Political Science and Natural Resources from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Caulfield began his university teaching career in 1985 at the university’s Bristol Bay Campus. He rose the rank of full professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks working with the Department of Alaska Native and Rural Development. His research interests in took him to Greenland, Denmark, Canada, New Zealand, and Russia. He has published two books and numerous other professional publications. He has served on national and international science steering committees and boards, including the NSF Oceans-Atmosphere-Ice Interactions Scientific Committee, the International Arctic Social Sciences Association, and the University of the Arctic.

Prior to coming to UAS, Dr. Caulfield directed UAF’s Tanana Valley Campus in Fairbanks. TVC fulfills UAF’s community college mission by focusing on workforce development, academic preparation, and lifelong learning. In this capacity he served on the Alaska Process Industries Career Consortium, UA Allied Health Alliance, and “Putting Alaska’s Resources to Work” steering committee. Dr. Caulfield also worked with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Subsistence, conducting research in Alaskan villages.

A 35-year Alaska resident, Dr. Caulfield has combined academic and professional interests with experience in commercial fishing, flying, sailing, home construction, dog mushing, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor pursuits.